@foxwaffles Thank you very much! I'm actually a beginner to copics too but I'll be glad to share any tips I have! I hope they help...

Choosing Colors. I use at most 3-5 colors per section, (A base, an analogous and a shadow) too many colors make things muddy in my opinion. I'm going to use the hair here as an example for this post. (Alrescha's hair is a gradient so I might up it to 6, but I'll explain later why I don't)

(The 2 ciao markers I used were G99 Olive and B05 Process Blue)

Start Lightest First. Use the lightest shade (G40 Dim Green) and lightly feather over the place I want colored. Since the color is usually so light, if you color outside its hard to spot~ Small white strips left for highlights. (Even for the eyes!)This technique is the same I used for the wings/crown!

Shadowing. I use the darkest shade (this case B05) and mark where I want the shadows to be.
Make the strokes upward, but be careful near the lineart, I color outside here a lot...

After that I use the lighter shade (B00) and BLEND IT LIKE CRAZY! In one general direction of course. (Don't be afraid to use a lot of ink, more ink means more blending!)

When the colors are smooth enough I go back to my base color (G40), and its darker counterpart (G99) and add shadows, color it like how the base color was put down. (I personally don't like making shadows too bold, but other alternatives here could be using a dark blue, or gold. Match the mood) And it turns out like this!

Use Other Mediums. Here's the reason I won't use 6 markers, le secret weapon GLITTER PENS!! And I dump them everywhere I can. White Ink/Gouache also makes for an easy sparkle and shine!For coloring crystals I dab my marker. Make weird shapes/strips. The more uneven the better. Blending is optional. GLITTER PENS ARE A MUST! (They're not, I'm sorry...)Other Tips

Analogous colors are your best friends. Although complimentary colors-well compliment, sometimes putting red shading on green hair looks a little...off... This is why my colors end up looking like they do, I mix them A LOT with their neighbors.

Avoid the Colorless Blender. You can use it when you make a mistake and need a color to evaporate, but anytime else it gives this real nasty look (in my opinion.)

Paper is Important. I tried many different kinds of paper the past week and learned yes, it does matter. Colors could look the same on some paper while others radically different. My favorite right now is Bee Marker Paper, I've been using this for all the drawings here (so far). So test papers, If you have bad paper use them for thumbnails or practice strokes.

And that's all I got. I might make a proper tutorial or something later. But I hope there were some things here that might help <3 Oh and here is the finished product of the picture I used here!

@EretaHEART I know!! Copics are so expensive!! But my overwhelming urge to learn is MORE EXPENSIVE!!

Thank you for the critique. I am aware of my current style and fortunately (or unfortunately) I will learn to maybe change it or improve on it in the future. Especially the coloring aspect. Who knows, maybe in a couple of months. Whether I like it or not. (For some reason It's sporadic between being too simple to omg draw every hair strand!)

But you say you like my lineart? That actually really flatters me as I seem to dislike it...Alrescha you saved me there! Whew.

hey slow down man! what i meant by "this isnt what i would use to color" I did not mean in any way that your art style was bad. I just meant that I as a human being have my own tastes, but I can still very well appreciate your approach.

The only place where I might be able to correct you is actually the part I like most, the lineart (this is factual as opposed to subjective [i think ... ?])

But honestly, this is in reality no big deal. it's hard to notice unless you stare at it for a while. and like, actually think. normally you won't have to worry about this sort of thing, because a lot of people are brain dead with this sort of stuff (sometimes I am as well, unfortunately lel)

even though anatomy is my most lacking field, I can tell that the bottom side of her top is off-center. It's leaning on the to the right, or her left. Judging from the motion of the piece, I do not believe it can account for this fact, derp.

Additionally, the very top left (her right) edge of the skirt may or may not be too far out <= this can be the subject of increasingly pointless debates, so don't even bother, since any correction will be by a few millimeters at most, lol

before you start thinking that I'm being nitpicky, I'm just trying to help, and I know I sound like a jerk since I would be pretty be at least somewhat annoyed being in your position rn but oh well, yknow? Just trying to tell you, hey, anatomy is stupidly hard but its still important even if it haunts your every drawing (me D.

in hindsight, i probably shouldve just left that tiny detail alone. this is way too much for just that >_<

@EretaHEART Ahhh crap I worded something wrong didn't I? Do not worry. I took no offense and there were no hurt feelings. (I don't word well, words are hard...especially on the computer) Believe it or not I love reading critiques and stuff, improvement and all is a godsend. So no need to feel as if you hurt my feelings, in fact the part about anatomy is really helpful, now I will discreetly stare creepily at my work hehehe

@icebarrier No one needs to dai xD My tears will become jewels and then we'll be rich!! (or roll REM a kajillion times)

@awkakes
Sorry I didn't respond earlier I lost your ping in a sea of other pings and just saw your post today DX Darn you school breaking my brain

Thanks so much for the post! Learned so much from it, you're amazing

Copics are so so SO expensive, I got a set of 72 for $350 which is already a pretty good deal but holy hotcakes there goes oodles of wallet. This is why I can't IAP in PAD :V

So when blending should you make sure the ink already on the paper is still wet? Once the ink dries things don't blend as well. Or do you just go over everything with the lighter color (as you mentioned using B00 for) and that takes care of it?

Wow I've been so busy the past few weeks. SCHOOL! *shakes angry fist* I'll be posting again soon. I just need to catch my breath. Whew.

@EretaHEART I sincerely though that was someone from kancolle but then I was like. Oh no, I didn't get that reference.

@Reni The best thing about one marker is that it can darken itself and you don't get tempted with other colors!! (Unless its black) heheh. You won't have to wait long, I'll get some art up within the day. (maybe something digital yay!)

@foxwaffles School just loves to break brains doesn't it? OOooooh a 72 set!? Wow, I think I have about, that much. <-- started with the 24 set and just kept buying individually. It's why I am so bad at descends, no money for godfests xD

For your questions, I blend when the ink is wet, that's why it looks watercolor-y. When it's dry you can add hard shadows easier, but I think you can still blend after. Need to try that...but going over with the lightest color makes the drawing (to me) come together, but I only use it in cases like alrescha since gradients are harder to work with. D:

And I use Bee Marker Paper for the drawings here. I might post some with u-express card or bristol. But so far the Bee Paper is not so bad

Wow I've been so busy the past few weeks. SCHOOL! *shakes angry fist* I'll be posting again soon. I just need to catch my breath. Whew.

@EretaHEART I sincerely though that was someone from kancolle but then I was like. Oh no, I didn't get that reference.

@Reni The best thing about one marker is that it can darken itself and you don't get tempted with other colors!! (Unless its black) heheh. You won't have to wait long, I'll get some art up within the day. (maybe something digital yay!)

@foxwaffles School just loves to break brains doesn't it? OOooooh a 72 set!? Wow, I think I have about, that much. <-- started with the 24 set and just kept buying individually. It's why I am so bad at descends, no money for godfests xD

For your questions, I blend when the ink is wet, that's why it looks watercolor-y. When it's dry you can add hard shadows easier, but I think you can still blend after. Need to try that...but going over with the lightest color makes the drawing (to me) come together, but I only use it in cases like alrescha since gradients are harder to work with. D:

And I use Bee Marker Paper for the drawings here. I might post some with u-express card or bristol. But so far the Bee Paper is not so bad

Click to expand...

I shake my angry fist with you at school! Let us PROTEST! DX

Thanks so much for the tips! Gonna try it because i totally have time to

@foxwaffles hopefully vacation would come sooner then we don't have to protest. (I'm so lazy that I would wait it out xD) And no problem! Glad to help-ish

On another note, I found this file from last year and for some reason didn't finish it. But I'll post it anyways xD

I didn't have to resize it, so this is its quality and actual dimensions, which make me wonder, why didn't I make it larger...
(It's my old leaders, Gabriel, DQXQ, Baal, Ame no Uzume, Odin and Valk Femme)